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Old-Fashioned German Potato Salad

Old-fashioned German potato salad with warm, tender russet slices tossed in a tangy vinegar dressing and finished with crispy bacon and sweet sautéed onions. This traditional warm salad uses a quick flour-thickened broth-vinegar sauce for a glossy coating that clings to every forkful.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: German
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb russet potatoes peeled and sliced
  • 8 slices bacon bacon slices
  • 1 onion large onion, diced
  • 0.75 cup beef broth
  • 0.33 cup white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp pepper
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Boil the potatoes
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the peeled, sliced russet potatoes until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. A fork should slide in easily with no resistance.
  2. Drain the potatoes thoroughly. Shake the colander gently so excess water leaves the potatoes.
Cook bacon and sauté onions
  1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes, then reserve the drippings in the pan. The bacon should look deep golden and crisp at the edges.
  2. Sauté the diced onion in the reserved bacon drippings over medium heat, stirring, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. The onion should turn translucent and fragrant.
  3. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for 1 minute. The flour should look slightly toasted rather than raw.
Make the vinegar dressing
  1. Add the beef broth, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  2. Simmer the dressing until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should coat the back of a spoon and look glossy.
Finish and serve warm
  1. Crumble the crispy bacon and add it to the drained potatoes. Distribute the bacon so every portion has bits.
  2. Pour the hot dressing over the potatoes and bacon and toss to coat. The potatoes should look evenly glazed.
  3. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately while warm. The bowl should steam when you bring it to the table.

Notes

For best texture, keep the dressing hot and toss the potatoes right away so they absorb the vinegar-broth coating while still tender. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days and rewarm gently in a skillet or microwave until hot; freeze is not recommended because the potatoes can become mealy. If you want a lighter option, you can use low-sodium beef broth and reduce added salt slightly.